9.27.2007

I am usually a very calm and collected person (my whole family is calm and collected) but today I must say I let loose with good warrant. My new four month old laptop went on the fritz a few weeks ago and Dell actually said they would replace it completely because it has a serious potential of breaking out in flames at any given moment. Nice enough, I thought, they care enough about the Bean's eyesight to ensure she doesn't loose it by an exploding computer...they said they would replace it within ten days but I would most likely receive it in three because they are so awesome. Gullible me (my whole family is not gullible) actually believed the nice enough Dell people until 2.5 weeks later and still no Dell. I spent one hour on the phone in the morning and I became so irate I was rendered speechless by the utter incompetence and run around I was being given. One amazing excuse after another seemed to stream out of the blackberry without pause. I just couldn't take it anymore and hung up to call my buddy Allison hoping she would jump at the chance to channel her own rage at the Dell people but she had already vented earlier with the Land Rover people. I'm not good at confrontation and I believe Allison would excel in this area because she is so quick witted and a smarty pants. But she declined so I waited until my drive to Chicago to call the Dell people back. My three hour drive is one giant blur...I couldn't even tell you one scenic view because I was on the bluetooth the whole time trying to get someone on the phone who actually would say something other than "yes, I'm so sorry", "yes, please, I understand and am so sorry", 'yes, so sorry Maureen we understand...but the computer will still take 21 days to deliver". Three hours of this and I finally am transfered to someone who says my computer will be here on Monday although I really am not going to be holding my breath...the Dell people were still contradicting themselves with every other word they uttered.

9.26.2007

I have been cruising through Illinois for the past few days and personally I think it's quite beautiful. There is such a quiet feel to this area and a sense of tranquility that I love (although I am dearly missing my Starbucks!). I only wish I had more opportunities to stop and photograph. The first problem was that is was raining most of the time and the second is that the roads really don't have a breakdown lane to pull over on to. The big mac trucks running through scare the wits out of me and quickly kill any ideas of stopping on the side of the road. The wonderful benefit of having a GPS is you can turn onto country roads for a side trip and the GPS will redirect you so I don't have a fear of being lost. Tomorrow I'm heading north to Chicago in my little sporty shiny maroon Spider convertible...fun fun!

9.22.2007

"The human mind is not capable of grasping the Universe. We are like a little child entering a huge library. The walls are covered to the ceilings with books in many different tongues. The child knows that someone must have written these books. It does not know who or how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. But the child notes a definite plan in the arrangement of the books---a mysterious order which it does not comprehend, but only dimly suspects

This was the quote that was suppose to be published along with my Bio for the art show. The curator, I believe, did a lousy job curating. The bean's just a little peeved about that.

9.18.2007

Anselm Kiefer is a German sculptor and painter of mixed media. Stars and the distant horizon are recurrent motifs in his exceptionally large paintings where he explores creation mythology and the nature of the cosmos.

Kiefer on his large concrete structures:

"What interests me is the transformation, not the monument. I don't construct ruins, but feel ruins are moments when things show themselves. A ruin is not a catastrophe. It is the moment when things can start again."

9.13.2007

The general consensus is that the roots of foot binding lie in the Sung dynasty (960-1279 AD) in China. The general purpose of foot binding was to restrict the growth of the feet so that they would not exceed 3-4 inches as small feet were considered beautiful and elegant. A foot measuring a perfect three inches was called a 'lotus of gold'. The process normally began when a girl was between the ages of three to eleven, the justification being that the pre-bone cartilage of the arch, which was predominantly water, would be more easily molded than matured bone. The mothers or more experienced female relatives who performed the foot binding typically began the procedure in late fall or winter when the foot was generally numb so that the pain would not be so severe. From the Chinese viewpoint, foot binding was not considered mutilation but a form of adornment, an embellishment to the human body. The human body, in Chinese philosophy and medicine was part of a larger organic process of regeneration. The attire and adornment of both men and women forged a link between the needs of human society and universal order, bringing together the world and the spiritual realm of Heaven.

9.11.2007

This is one of my favorite Japanese woodblock prints from the Edo-period. It is by Hiroshige (1797-1858) whose work centered on telling stories of 19th century Japanese life in villages and varied landscapes. What is interesting about this period work is that it was often a collaboration between artist, publisher, woodblock carver, and printer although almost always accredited only to the artist and publisher. The artistic expression which emerged from the Edo-period was centered on its use of water as a metaphor which carried ancient associations of freedom & pleasure, the “delightful” uncertainties of life when people live for the moment. This woodblock print is actually only a few miles from my home at the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, CT. The woodblock prints which hang in the museum (there are many) are actually not the original prints, the originals are kept in air tight storage facilities due to their delicate nature and their susceptibility to fading from UV light. You are able to request private views of the prints, which is very cool. This little museum has quite a history and is well worth a tour through it's mainly impressionistic paintings, although the entire collection is quite large and varied as the family was quite eclectic in their taste. Theodate Pope Tate was the chief architect and only daughter of the Tate family. She designed the estate in the late 1890's and was also a main architect of the private all boys school, Avon Old farms, in Avon, CT. I can go on and on about her architectural style and talent but I guess if you're really interested you can just look her up yourself.

9.10.2007

I am reflecting over the decision I made to leave the above depicted painting out of my show (remember, I am a introvert so I will continue to obsess and ponder over this issue for years to come). The only reason I decided to remove it was the curators crinkled up nose when she said "What is That?"...as if she was repulsed or something. It is an innocent enough piece, as you can see, it's just of a very different style than my norm. Minimalism at it's best. The reason she wanted to leave it out was because it didn't fit the overall "theme" of the show....and now I'm thinking, who cares? Personally I don't go to shows expecting any particular theme, I'm going because I want to see the artists work and it would actually be a bonus if it did show a variety of mediums and styles because that's what I like....mixed media. Just as a side note, the painting does not depict peppers...they are People!....this is where the tittle is essential to a piece, it can be completely misinterpreted without it. Or I don't know....does the title give a hint to what the painting is at all?....I need discussions people!! ;)

9.09.2007

This weekend was just pure luck as my trip to DC was canceled last minute...thanks Justin!! I was therefore able to attend the Open House Hartford annual festivities and it was well worth the trips. On Saturday I saw The Witching Hour dance performance which challenges the silence of non-conformist voices as it raises the gender implications of Hartford's own witch craze in the 1600's. The performance was by the Judy Dworin Performance Project and it was the first time I had ever seen them perform...very good indeed. An interesting aspect was the use of sign language throughout the performance by the dancers themselves as well as a main interpreter dressed in period garb perched on a higher platform directly behind the dancers. It really added a subtle beauty to the piece. And for today I went to The Bushnell to see a collaboration between the Connecticut Opera and the modern dance company, Full Force Dance Theater, for their opera-choreographed modern dances. A Sunday spent with a little Verdi, Mozart, Bernstein, mixed with contemporary dance...what more could you ask for? Sounds odd but it really was interesting!

9.08.2007

So Oprah is endorsing Obama....hummmm....have to think about that one. Hopefully she has thought this one through, after all she did support Powell and what turned out to be his little flask of nothing. Oprah had actually challenged an audience member during one particular live show when they had questioned this "evidence" (of WMD's) as propaganda....she was quick to shoot them down and belittle their point of view. I don't believe she ever apologized for being wrong or for her quick, uneducated judgement. I am a big Oprah fan but I have my reservations when one individual has such power over such supposed masses...especially if those masses only look to one individual for their main source of information and that one individual is in the entertainment industry and who also does not do their homework. I have tried to stay away from politics lately as I've become a bit obsessed and therefore depressed over the state of our world. Overall I have a positive view of Obama...I think of him as a mediator of sorts which I believe our country is in great need of. I believe he has the capacity to bring people together. I am not so sure if he is what we need as a leader of our nation....but I will ponder.

9.07.2007

" I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart."

ee cummings, amateur painter and master of poetry is best remembered for his lyrical and playful poetry. There is a wonderful book of his poetry published along with Marc Chagall's paintings, "may i fell he said". Both artists works are such expressions of joy and playfulness that they really complement one another, it's an exceptional match, I think. The above painting is by ee cummings. He died at the age of 68 from a brain hemorrhage.

9.06.2007

Today was the day to hang the show which went relatively smoothly. I decided to keep two pieces out as they really didn't flow with the overall theme. The space is kinda hokey as the walls and wood beams are crooked so everything looks off kilter. The building itself is very old and in it's center is a main chimney with a large flue venting a non working fireplace, an old bakers oven, and I'm not sure what other type of fire box. So the show is hung, that's about all I have to say about that.

I also went to Real Art Ways to see the 50,000 bed exhibit. It is the conception of artist Chris Doyle who has commissioned 45 artists to explore in video format inn, motel, and hotel rooms throughout Connecticut. The exhibit is a collaboration between three contemporary art galleries in CT... Real Art Ways, ArtSpace, and The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, which have all specifically designed their gallery spaces to enable these multi screen video installations to be viewed in a very personal yet public format. I am still pondering the show so can't really write about it now...I'm one of those introverts that require reflection on just about everything. A brilliant professor of mine once said "Ask an introvert a question and you can expect an answer in about two years"...that about sums me up.

9.05.2007

These were taken with my little digital point and shoot. I think my manual Nikon is almost easier to shoot with, you just need a sturdy tripod and you are able to capture almost anything in perfect clarity and exposure. On the other hand, I probably just need to get used to the digital...there's just so many buttons! This was a very sunny day so the images are washed out and overexposed. i do like the first image the best...I tend to gravitate more towards high contrast prints.

9.04.2007

"What happens but once might as well not have happened at all". This is a phrase which frequently populates Milan Kundera's novel "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", by far my favorite all time novel. The novel is a search for meaning in life which leans towards the necessity of significance, which comes from a sense of weight. It attempts to identify what makes us need companionship in life as well as trying to understand the relationships between conflicting desires. Is the absence of any responsibilities and ties in life really a "lightness"? Does this lightness, or absence of relationships, become "unbearable"? The novel portrays how vulnerable we are of our contradictory desires, aspirations and impulses.

"When we want to give expression to a dramatic situation in our lives, we tend to use metaphors of heaviness. We say that something has become a great burden to us. We either bear the burden or fail and go down with it, we struggle with it, win or lose. And Sabina, What had come over her? Nothing. She had left a man because she felt like leaving him. Had he persecuted her? Had he tried to take revenge on her? No. Her drama was a drama not of heaviness but of lightness. What fell to her lot was not the burden but the unbearable lightness of being." pp. 121-122

I also must include a personal note regarding this novel and perhaps why it has affected me so deeply. I was sitting on a park bench reading Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" while I was studying photography at UCONN. While reading a physician came up to me and we started chatting and we ended up going out on a few dates, but it never evolved into anything. I discovered Kundera's novel shortly after this encounter while scouring the "Red Barn" used book store and took it with me while traveling Europe. The opening chapter introduces two of the central characters; Tomas, who is a physician, and Tereza, who is an armature photographer. They meet one another while Tereza is reading "Anna Karenina"....now how spooky is That?! This was over 17 years ago and the book has never left me!

9.03.2007

The top photograph is of Daisy's friend Archie on vacation in Maine last week. He didn't go swimming but I requested a picture of him in his life preserver anyway, thanks Allison ;). Daisy is in the photograph on the bottom blocking the doors so I wouldn't leave home without her. Daisy is kinda sassy so she wasn't invited to many party's at Archie's place, but when she was, she had lots of fun and was sure to leave her mark in one way or another.....hee hee.

9.02.2007

It is mine alone,
this land of my most secret soul.
I enter it without a passport,
as though I were going home.
It knows my sorrow and my loneliness
It gives me rest, and hides me under a scented stone.

Gardens bloom there, in my land,
their flowers are bloomed by me.
The streets there are my own,
but no houses stand there;
they have been brought to ruins since my childhood days;
and the inhabitants go wondering in the air,
seeking a place to stay;
they also live in my land,
the land of my most secret soul.

See why then, it is that I smile,
when my sun's blaze scarcely shows,
or why I weep
like the lightest of showers in my night.

There was a time when I had two heads,
there was a time when these two faces that were mine
were bathed in a passionate dew,
and drowned there like the perfume of a rose.

Now it seems to me
that even when retreating
I journey forwards
towards a towering gateway
behind which walls stretch far away
and a pale lightening glimmers.
It is mine alone,
the land of my most secret soul.

-MARC CHAGALL

This is the only poem I have ever read by Marc Chagall and have been unsuccessful in locating others. I stumbled across this gem in the Farmington Library meandering through the very slim art section. The book was interesting in that it was dedicated to 4 artists, one of which was Chagall and another was Picasso. All four artists were offered two pages in which they could write anything they wanted, it was their space to do with as they wish but the authors intention was to publish reflections by artists on their art. This poem above titled "My Land" was Chagall's submission. Picasso, on the other hand, rarely gave interviews and it was unheard of for him to actually speak or write about his work. Picasso was offered several opportunities to submit something for publication or, as the authors last resort, was threatened that the pages dedicated to him would remain blank. Picasso at this time was very sick and on his death bed when he finally submitted a response to the author. It was the alphabet spanning both pages written in capital letters....Ya gotta love artists!

9.01.2007

The Mohonk Preserve [ http://www.mohonkpreserve.org ]in New Paltz, NY, includes the Shawangunk Mountains, where I spent the day rock climbing along it's ridges. It's both exhausting and thrilling and I will write about this more extensively in the future. I'm just a wee bit tired as I've got my pillow on my brain....looking forward to falling into a deep and well earned slumber!

About Me

In my search for a consistent philosophy of life I have been continuously inspired and guided by nature. I have always believed that nature provides the way to enlightenment, to freedom from that which encumbers us, to a deeper understanding of the human condition, and to a fuller capacity for creativity. As a child growing up I “went to the woods” to find solace and discovered both beauty and wonder. It has provided me with peace in the midst of turmoil, companionship in seasons of solitude, and understanding when faced with some riddle or paradox. Nature is unforgiving yet it strives against self-inflicted devastation's. I ponder over who we have become and our relationship within the natural world and it's mysteries. Our identities as humans is a forced or formed displacement from the natural world. I am exploring these thoughts through photography as well as working through mediums which often include organic materials integrated within mixed media pieces.
I am trying in my work to have the viewer be the experiencer. I do not want to be there...it is not even a walk we take together.

Copyright

"All images, text, words, etc., were created by me (or proper authorship of photos , text was stated) – Maureen Noonan – and I am the sole owner of the copyright ... that means you cannot copy an image to your hard drive, or use this content for anything, without my express permission. Ask – I usually say 'yes'!"